


On That Fateful Day

by DurianDude



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/M, Fire Nation Royal Family, Firebending & Firebenders, Gen, I am the peak of comedy, LGBTQ Character, Minor Original Character(s), Non Benders (Avatar), Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Waterbending & Waterbenders, get it slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:18:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20455964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DurianDude/pseuds/DurianDude
Summary: The three sons of the late Fire Lord Azulon, Iroh, Ozai, and Kenshi, were all blessed with their own children. Ren is the son of Kenshi, and apart of the Fire Nation Royal Family. He grew up believing that the Hundred Year War was just a way to spread Fire Nation culture and beliefs to the neighbouring kingdoms, nations, and tribes. But on the day that he witnessed the Fire Lord burn and banish his own son, Prince Zuko. This filled the younger prince with doubt about his family and purpose. Is the war needed? Why do they need to kill the Avatar? And what does this have to do with his own destiny? With all of this confusion, Ren joined his Uncle Iroh and his cousin Prince Zuko on the journey to find the Avatar, mainly just to escape his family and Uncle Ozai for at least a little while. He thinks that Zuko's task is impossible and doesn't expect anything to come from it. But when a strange light beam shines out during a boat route nearby the Southern Water Tribe, things turn from tense to bizarre.





	1. The Day

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of this idea at around 2 AM and I ended up going through with it. I love the Avatar series and it was the first one I ever wrote stories for when I was younger, and I've just gotten more inspiration to write fanfiction again. This is an original character-based story that is supposed to run along the same timeline as the original series. It is not meant to be a complete overhaul, but an adaptation to the original work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren has spent around 2 years in search of the Avatar with his cousin Zuko and Uncle Iroh. Originally, this day seems like another routine route near the Southern Water Tribe, but it soon becomes much more.
> 
> Please comment after reading on what you think of the very first chapter!
> 
> (Chapter Based On The Events of Book 1, Episode 1)

**The Hundred Year War. It was something that Ren was always skeptical of for his entire life. This was never always the case of course since he did grow up in the Fire Nation. For a good period of his childhood, he never even questioned the fact that Uncle Ozai was ordering raids and sieges on other cities, actively killing tens of thousands in the process. He lived a good life, hanging out with his cousins Zuko and Azula at every chance he could, all while loving his family. This all changed when he witnessed the Agni Kai between his older cousin, Zuko, and Fire Lord Ozai. He stood next to his Uncle Iroh as he watched Zuko become permanently scarred, along with being banished from the Fire Nation. Even with this event, what Ren was more surprised about was the task that Zuko was given; to find the long lost Avatar Aang. There hasn’t been a single sight of an airbender in several decades, nor did anyone alive know what he looked like. Ren thought that Zuko wouldn’t try at this impossible task… but he was immediately proven wrong. The next day, he was given the offer to join him and their Uncle Iroh on the mission since he was very close to Zuko. With doubt about his family’s goal and his own destiny, Ren agreed.**

**\--------**

It was mid-day, around ten PM, and Ren was still lazing around in his room. He was fully dressed in formal armour all Fire Nation princes were supposed to wear, and he had tied up his topknot. He hadn’t been home to visit his little sister, An, in quite some time. She was just a year old when he left. He thinks about that often and sometimes wonders if it was selfish to leave her out of his own grief and confusion. But it’s not like he can just go home now.

“Day seven hundred and seventy-seven,” Ren said to himself, staring at the ceiling of his room from his bed. “Don’t miss it, Ren, because this is the last day in quite a while that you’re going to experience triple matching numbers.” He grumbled out after, slowly getting up from his bed as he finally decided to leave. He picked up his tray of empty teacups, walking out of his room and into the narrow hallways of the ship he had been sleeping in for two years.

Walking by the kitchen, Ren peeked in to see that the cooks must’ve been on break. He set down the tray of cups in the sink along with the others. He does this to help relieve at least some of their load, knowing that the guards’ food and beverage clean up can be quite the handful. Walking down the hallway, he kindly greeted some of the guards and clean-up crew that walked by, lightly bowing his head with a smile.

He took the stairs up onto the main deck, opening the door to see a rather common sight. As the cold air nipped gently along his cheeks, he spotted his Uncle Iroh calmly playing a game at a table while drinking tea and his cousin staring out into the frozen oceans of the South Pole. He and his cousin looked alike in many aspects. Only if you ignore Zuko’s constant scowl.

Their clothing was identical, signifying their shared status of princes. Though, since Zuko held the title of Crown Prince, he wore a special headpiece. A sharp jawline and high cheekbones were commonplace in the royal bloodline, along with the upwards slanted, golden eyes. The main differences between them was the lack of a burn scar, Ren's longer (and arguably more tasteful) haircut that let a few strands of his bangs out along with noticeable hair on the top and sides, and his slightly darker skin due to his genetics.

Ren walked up to his uncle, putting a hand on his shoulder as he continued to stare at Zuko. “Doesn’t he ever take a break?” Ren asked him, in an almost pitiful tone.

All Iroh could do in response was a sigh, shaking his head as he looked up from his game. “He’s been restless these past couple of months, more than usual anyway.” Iroh told Ren. “Why don’t you go talk to him? It might ease him up a little bit.”

Ren nodded as he slowly walked towards Zuko, stopping as he stood to the left side of him. He didn’t look at him just yet, looking out at the sea and taking in the sights. “I know we’ve seen this place before, but the sights of the Water Tribes always amaze me no matter how many times I get to see it.” He told Zuko, a small smile on his own face.

“Too bad that it isn’t what I’m looking for Ren.” Zuko replied back, his voice as stern as ever. Ren looked over at his cousin, having to look down slightly due to their height difference. Zuko’s face would show almost no emotion, though it was clear to Ren that someone else was going on inside of him that he didn’t want to talk about.

Ren’s always been concerned for his cousin, but he wasn’t going to try and pry at what it was. He respected Zuko’s privacy but made it known to him that he would be there for when he needed someone to back him up. Ren quickly looks away and back out into the sea. Zuko’s always been the more reserved and serious one out of both of them, but the banishment really made that trait stand out in him.

There was a part of Ren that wanted to ask Zuko more… odd questions about his newfound destiny. Most of them were rooted in Ren’s speculation about the purpose of the Hundred Year War. At the current moment, he thought that maybe one fairly vague question would be able to slide as just curiosity. “Don’t you think you should take a moment to think about what you’re doing for your-”

Before Ren could even try and finish his sentence, a sudden beam of light shone up into the sky far out into the distance. The source of this must’ve been extremely powerful in nature, since it would extend its height further and further into the arctic air until it was barely visible above the clouds. Ren already knew how Zuko was going to react to this, but this time Ren felt as if this was different than all of the other times he’s gotten his hopes up.

“Finally... Ren, Uncle, do you realize what this means?” Zuko said, his voice full of determination. He looked at Ren before turning around to face their uncle as he said the names, and Ren couldn’t help but sigh as he listened and watched Zuko overreact once again. But again, it felt different to him.

“I won't get to finish my game?” Their uncle suggested, causing Ren to roll his eyes. He always appreciated the way his Uncle Iroh would be able to stay calm under any situation, but also the fact that he could sometimes be a bit aloof.

Zuko held his hands behind his back as his eyes furrowed at their uncle. “It means my search… it's about to come to an end.” Their uncle let out a groan of annoyance, going back to his game. Ren couldn’t help but smile at his reaction, though quickly turning it back into a neutral expression when Zuko looked back at him, as to somewhat signal his cousin for help on the matter. Zuko sighed when all Ren could do was shrug in response.

Even with Ren’s input on the matter, he thought that he should let his cousin vent on what he thought it could be. “That light came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!” Zuko claimed to both Ren and Iroh. Even with Ren’s feeling that this could be something different, there was still a part of him that doubted his cousin’s belief.

Their uncle looked up from his game, a smile on his face. “Or it's just the celestial lights.” Uncle Iroh said to his oldest nephew. “We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?”

Ren took a step to the side, making some distance between him and Zuko with full knowledge of how his cousin was going to react. The serious expression on Zuko’s face turned into raging anger. “I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar!” The older prince yelled out at his uncle, his fists clenched in anger. “Helmsman, head a course for the light!”

The younger prince sighed as he walked back over to Zuko, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Cousin, do you not think that this might be just the celestial lights?” Ren asked him, trying to show both concern and care for his relative. The two basically grew up as brothers rather than cousins, so he was just as close to Zuko as Iroh was.

Zuko appeared to have calmed down slightly from his random outburst, fixing his collar a bit so he would look more tidier. “You know what I’m going to say, Ren,” Zuko said to him, his voice more stressed than angry at this point. “I know that you can feel it in the air. The feeling of the mere power coming from that beam. There’s only one explanation.”

Ren remained silent, giving himself a moment to think about what to say next. He let out a sigh as he removed his hand from his cousin’s shoulder. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up, Zuko.” Was all that Ren before walking away, heading towards the in-ship canteen to get something to eat.

A part of Ren wanted to join his Uncle Iroh in skepticism, but at the same time, he knew that something about this wasn’t like the celestial lights.


	2. The Avatar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Ren find the Avatar hiding in the Southern Water Tribe. He seemed younger than everyone thought, especially considering that he is over a hundred years old. But the real question for Ren is if he should stay on his family's side... or commit treason.
> 
> (Chapter Based On The Events Of Book 1, Episode 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh lit people actually read the first chapter yay
> 
> have a second one my dudes

Ren spent most of yesterday training with Zuko, since none of the guards wanted to deal with him while angry. Because when his cousin was this angry, his attacks became much more powerful than usual, something that only Ren could deal with. Both him and Zuko trained under Uncle Iroh for two years on the ship, so their skill level in firebending was matched. Even with that, training with Zuko was extremely energy draining, and by the time it was over, Ren went back to his room and passed out on his bed.

When he finally woke up, the sounds of many people running around outside his room and up on deck was what greeted him. The ship being made of iron meant that every single sound could resonate in the ship. Ren slowly got up from his bed, a confused and groggy mess as he put on his clothes, just a fresh pair of the same formal armour that he wore the day before. It was strange to hear this much activity on the ship, and Ren wanted to find out why. Before he left his room, he grabbed the small picture of him and his little sister, looking at it for a moment before tucking it into his shirt, resting it next to his heart.

It took him three seconds once he opened the door for a guard to accidentally run into him, then several more by the time he made it to the stairs. This was starting to worry him, and every time he tried to ask one of the guards what was going on, they just continued moving along as it seemed that they were preparing for something.

By the time that Ren made it up onto the main deck, he spotted his cousin looking out onto the waters, though it didn’t seem like they were heading towards the beam of light anymore. Zuko was wearing his war helmet, something that he only wore on important occasions. Ren quickly jogged up to Zuko, standing next to him as he saw what the other prince was looking at. The Southern Water Tribe.

“Um… would you care to explain why we’re headed towards a tiny village?” Ren asked Zuko, looking over at him in both confusion and concern about what they were about to do.

Zuko did not look back at Ren, continuing to look forward at the ship’s destination. “You missed it yesterday, Ren,” He said to him, his hands held behind his back. “A flare was shot off nearby the village… and you know what that means.”

Ren felt his stomach drop into a pit of despair. The random beam of energy and then a Fire Nation flare being set off on the same day? That can’t just be a coincidence. Zuko was going to be absolutely ruthless on the folks that live there, just so he can find what he thinks is going to be the Avatar.

One of the biggest secrets that Ren holds is that he knows that he wouldn’t be able to side with his family if they were to capture the Avatar. In what he has read, the Avatar is supposed to bring peace and balance to the world. What does that make of the Fire Nation for wanting to kill him? Logically, that means that they don’t care about the balance of the universe. They care about power. And if Ren sees his cousin capture the Avatar today… he doesn’t know if he can stop himself from releasing the man in the hope that he will end the war.

But, there was no stopping his cousin by the time that the ship broke the thick layer of ice that signafied land. They had arrived at the village, and a crowd of people had already formed in response to seeing the Fire Nation warship approach their home and break through the snow wall that was supposed to protect them.

“So get your helmet and meet me below deck.” Zuko said to Ren, already starting to walk away. “We have an Avatar to capture.” Before Ren could even reply to him, Zuko was gone. He sighed as a pit of anxiety was starting to form in his stomach. Even with that, he had to keep up the act. He quickly ran off and back into the ship.

Running down the hallway, he was stuck in traffic as he saw that the main entrance was already open and Zuko was likely to have got out of the ship at this point. Ren had to weave his way through the crowd to make it to his room. Ren was never the most organized person, so he was basically just rummaging through piles and piles of unfolded clothes that were scattered around his bedroom. It took him awhile until he found his helmet, quickly slipping it on and leaving his room.

By the time he made it to the front of the ship, he saw the scene of his cousin grabbing a very elderly woman and yelling at the villagers. Ren furrowed his eyebrows in anger, walking down the ramp as he walked up to Zuko. Even though he was slightly younger than Zuko, doesn’t mean he can’t influence him one way or another.

Ren stood next to Zuko, his arms crossed and his face full of disappointment as he glared at his cousin. It took a moment for Prince Zuko to notice Ren’s presence, but as soon as he did, he was taken aback by Ren’s unusually angry look. This surprise quickly turned into matched anger and he threw the elderly woman back into the hands of who Ren assumed was her granddaughter.

Ren stood there with his hands behind his back, his face remaining stern as he was always taught to do in the presence of an “enemy”, though it was significantly more softened than Zuko’s expression. His heart melted as he looked at the terrified expressions of the people in front of him. Everything about this felt wrong to him, but he couldn’t just state that outright. Zuko, in a fit of rage, blasted a wave of fire right over their heads.

Ren couldn’t control himself as he discreetly punched his cousin in the back. It wasn’t enough for the villagers to notice from their angle, but hard enough that it would grab Zuko’s attention. “What in Sozin’s name do you think you’re doing, Zuko?” He whispered, his voice audibly angry. 

His cousin ignored him. “I know you’re hiding him!” Zuko screamed at the villagers, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

Before Ren could say anything else to his cousin, a teenage boy’s war cry could be heard from behind them. Both of the princes turned around to see a pony-tailed boy with smudged off war paint about their age charging towards them with what appeared to be some sort of blunt weapon. Just before he lunged himself at Ren and Zuko, the two boys ducked just in time to avoid the attack, sending the attacker flying forward and landing right in front of them.

It was Zuko that decided to attack the boy after they dodged, blasting out a stream of fire at him. Ren couldn’t help but become angier at his cousin. To Ren, there was no need to attack the boy, even if he was attacking them. Thankfully, the Water Tribe boy dodged out of the way before it could hit him. The boy pulled out something else from his belt, throwing it directly towards Zuko. His cousin would barely be able to dodge it as it soared further and further away from them.

Ren moved over to the side, not wanting to engage in the fight over moral reasons. He looked to the crowd behind the Water Tribe boy to see a much smaller one holding what looked like a makeshift spear. “Show no fear!” The little boy would yell before throwing the spear at the tribe’s sole fighter. The teenage boy would catch it before turning his focus back on Zuko, immediately charging at him with his new weapon.

As much as Ren admired the boy’s bravery and determination, it was pretty clear that his cousin was the one with better training. Just before the spear could hit Zuko he broke off the sharp tip using his wrist guard, then grabbing the broken spear from the boy’s hands and snapping it in two. It was a bit anticlimactic, but it was admittedly pretty funny when Zuko proceeded to bonk the boy on the head with one end of the spear, causing the boy to fall down.

Zuko stood sternly over him, as if to assert dominance over the other fighter. Or to just gloat in his supposed victory. But before Zuko could say anything else, the object that the boy threw earlier (which was now found out to be a boomerang) slams Zuko in the back of the head, knocking the prince’s helmet off kilter. Ren couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, though he quickly shut up when Zuko turned around to give him a nasty death glare. 

Zuko, absolutely fuming at this point, readjusts his helmet before creating small fire daggers out of the holes of his fists. Ren’s mild amusement turned into horror as he started to walk over to Zuko, the full intention of stopping his cousin as the goal. He knew that if someone didn’t stop the prince, the boy would’ve been scarred to a point where he would make Zuko feel pitiful.

Ren was about to grab Zuko and pull him away, but a sudden gust of wind and snow blew Zuko off of his feet and onto the ground. Ren was left with his arms reached out, holding nothing until his cousin’s helmet landed right in his arms, saving Zuko the embarrassment of it having to land on his butt. As Ren looked around for the source of this, he saw a new boy in the crowd, and when he did, the same feeling of anxiety washed over him… though there was a good amount of confusion mixed in there as well.

When you live on a boat with Prince Zuko for two years, you get to hear a lot of him talking about the Avatar. One of these things was what he was supposed to look like. Very old, baring the master airbending arrow tattoos, male, and most likely wearing Air Nomad robes. The person that presented themselves in front of them fit three out of the four things. What was the thing that he didn’t fit in with?

The Avatar wasn’t an old man, he was a twelve year old boy.

Now you see, if you had told that to anyone who wasn’t right here, right now, that the Avatar has just or not even hit puberty, they would laugh and say you’re on cropium. But it was the only logical explanation on who this was. The clothing, the airbending arrows, and the staff he was carrying, all signs of Air Nomad heritage. And since all known Air Nomads were killed off during their genocide, and the Avatar is supposed to be an airbender… well, it’s pretty obvious after you think about it that way.

After the airbending boy addressed a few of the villagers of the town, he looked over at Zuko and Ren. At this point, Zuko had got back onto his feet and the other soldiers had taken up offensive stances around the boy. The airbending boy quickly took up a defensive stance with his strange staff as the guards and Zuko began to close in.

Ren took a few steps back from the situation, trying his best not to look as uncomfortable as he did about what was happening. For a moment, him and the airbender held eye contact before Ren quickly looked away. He couldn’t let a single soul even think that he didn’t trust his family, especially when Zuko’s goal was right in front of him.

The Avatar quickly blew gusts of wind at the men on either side of him, sending them flying backwards and away from him. Zuko remained as the only one left standing, shielding his face from the wind and the small amount of snow that got picked up by the air. Ren wanted to leave, not wanting to watch the fight, but the curiosity of seeing an airbender fight is a once in a lifetime experience.

“Looking for me?” Said the boy to Zuko, confidently standing with his staff in one hand, looking at the prince with not a single ounce of fear visible on his face.

“You're the airbender?” Zuko said, the puzzle pieces just starting to click together in his head. He must’ve been too focused to even try and understand who this boy was beforehand. “You're the Avatar?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone in the area listened to that statement, slowly processing it in their minds. What was happening in front of them hasn’t happened in one hundred years. The boy that attacked Zuko before and the girl that caught the elderly woman after the prince threw her back into the grow both gave the airbending boy surprised looks.

“Aang?” The Water Tribe girl said to the Avatar, revealing the boy’s name to Ren and Zuko. She seemed just as surprised as everyone else, including the lackluster warrior from before.

“No way…” The fighter muttered out, his eyes widened in shock. In their defence, the reactions they were giving were completely justified considering that the Avatar has been missing for a hundred years.

Avatar Aang and Prince Zuko began to circle around, both of them waiting for the other’s attacks. The air around them was tense, and everyone seemed to be frozen in either fear or anticipation. Ren didn’t know if he could watch for any longer, even if seeing an airbender in action was the prize for staying. Yes, Zuko was ordered to bring in the Avatar ALIVE to his father, but he didn’t specify what STATE he should be in when brought home.

“I've spent years preparing for this encounter.” Zuko said, his stance rigid and stern just like himself as he continued to circle around. “Training. Meditating. You're just a child!”

The Avatar stopped for a moment, his facial features relaxing as he quirked up an eyebrow. “Well, you’re just a teenager.” He replied with, the statement itself almost putting a smile on Ren’s face. It was almost funny, but considering their situation, it was a bit hard to laugh at the moment.

That bite back along seemed to trigger something in Zuko to attack. He quickly wound up and fired off blast after blast. In reaction, the airbending boy let out a scream of fear as he quickly started spinning around his staff in circles from the middle. His expression to Ren looked like a man who was scared, which alone made the younger prince feel bad for him. But he remained silent for the time being as to not get either of the two hurt.

Ren had never seen airbending techniques in real life, and was fascinated how simply spinning the staff made the fire dissipate out of thin air. The dissipation doesn't block the fire from reaching the villagers, though, and the children, women, and elderly cry out in fear. The Avatar looks behind him for a moment as he spins his staff faster and faster, and there’s this moment when his facial expression is as readable as a book to Ren.

It says to him that he fears that there’s no way he can protect the people of the Water Tribe if this fight were to continue.

When the entourage of fire stopped blasting at him, Avatar Aang suddenly halted the spinning of his staff to address Zuko. “If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?” He asks his opponent, an oddly passive conclusion for the guards and Zuko, but the most reasonable one in Ren’s eyes.

Zuko slowly got out of his fighting stance, looking over at his cousin for a second opinion on the matter. Ren nodded in agreement with the deal with the Avatar’s proposition, seeing no reason to continue terrorizing and harming the Southern Water Tribe. The older prince then turned back to Aang and nodded. The guards immediately went to grab the boy, taking away his staff and grabbing him by the arms.

At this point, Ren saw no reason to stay and watch. He was the first one to retreat back into the ship, his hands behind his back as he tried not to think about what his cousin was doing. He refused to look behind him as he could hear the steps of both Zuko and the guards holding the young Avatar captive.

Everything about this felt wrong to Ren, and he was starting to crack under the pressure. His entire body felt sweaty and angry, but he didn’t know who he was angry at in the first place. It wasn’t Zuko since he understood why he was feeling like this in the first place. There was something in him that wanted to rebel, but he didn’t know when he was going to do it.

Walking up onto the main deck with Zuko, Iroh, some guards, and the Avatar, it was getting harder and harder to hide his distaste with the situation. Not to mention that every time he looked over to the Avatar, the boy was staring at him. He didn’t know why, but he tried his best to remain as stoic as possible.

All of them stood next to the hidden stairwell towards the prison chambers, the Avatar’s staff being held in the hands of Prince Zuko. “This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks.” He said to the Avatar. Ren’s eyebrows furrowed in anger at his cousin. The comment was completely unnecessary, also fresh considering that his father barely even qualified as a dad. “Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And take this to my quarters.” He ordered the guards before shoving the staff into Uncle Iroh’s hands. Their uncle immediately gave it to a guard as he walked away, leaving Ren and the two guards escorting the Avatar.

He watched as the guards went down the stairs with the Avatar, leaving Ren alone in contemplation. It took him a moment to realize that this was his chance. He turned to head towards the stairs, but hesitated. If he went through with this… there was no going back. Everything seemed to stop for a moment as Ren thought. He took a deep breath, staring up into the sky before looking back towards the stairs. With full knowledge of what he was going to do, he walked down the stairs and into the prison hold hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol cliffhanger
> 
> but yeah had to make this one a two part-er because of how long it was
> 
> comment and gimme a kudos thanks!


	3. Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ren committing to his morals, he defies his family in favour of what he believes is right. But will he get away with it?
> 
> (Based On The Events Of Book 1, Episode 2)

He spotted the two guards heading towards the cell and quickly walked up to them before they could reach it. Internally, he rehearsed what he was going to say to both the guards and the Avatar, knowing that he needed to prepare at least a little bit before anything else happened. Avatar Aang was in between the two, his hands tied behind his back. Ren was a quick thinker, and he already knew what the two guards wanted to do at the moment.

“When was the last time you two had a break?” Ren asked them, walking past them so he could stand in front of the two guards, blocking their path..

The two guards looked puzzled for a moment, wondering why Ren was asking. “Um… well sir, none of the guards have gotten a break since Prince Zuko spotted the light yesterday.” They told Ren, thankfully not seeming suspicious of him.

Ren gave the two a rehearsed smile, the same one he would make at royal ceremonies or meetings. “Well, how about if I treat you two?” He said, grabbing the keys from one of the guard’s hands. “You guys go get some tea.”

The guards stood there for a moment before looking at each other. Before Ren could try to convince them any more, the two bowed at him as a sign of respect. “Thank you, Prince Ren.” They said in unison. Ren didn’t expect the two to fall for his lie so quickly, but considering how much Zuko was disliked around the ship compared to him and Iroh, it shouldn’t have been that surprising.

Ren continued to keep the smile on his face as the two guards walked away, turning around and grabbing the Avatar by the arm and pulling him towards the cell, trying to keep up his act. By the time the guards had taken the stairs back up onto the main deck, Ren stopped in his tracks as he took a deep breath.

He was so sure of himself when he walked down the stairs, now he’s starting to feel a bit nervous. What if he was wrong? What if the Avatar was dangerous? These thoughts boiled up into his head as he tried to say something to the kid, stilling holding onto his arm.

Before Ren could think of anything clever or thoughtful to say to the Avatar, Aang spoke up first. “You don’t seem like the other guys here.” He said, pulling away his arm from Ren’s hand so he could turn around to face him.

Ren was initially startled by Aang’s sudden comment, but quickly regained his composure as he recited the words he rehearsed earlier. “Thank you, but as much as I would stay and talk, we have very little time.” Ren told the younger boy, keeping his hands where he could see them so it would be obvious that he wasn’t a threat.

Ren put up his pointer finger, a small and controlled flame coming out of the end as he grabbed the Avatar’s bound hands, quickly burning through the rope before it fell to the ground. “Your staff is located down the main hall and up the stairs, the first door to your left should be my cousin’s room.” He told the Avatar.

Aang stood there confused for a moment until he realized what Ren was doing. But when Ren was done talking, he didn’t immediately run off like before. Instead, he stood there and stared at him for a moment. “What’s your name?”

Ren, taken aback as he expected the boy to just run off, answered the question without thinking. “I’m Ren.” He told Aang. But before Ren could realize how dangerous sharing his name could be, the young airbender ran off.

The prince stood there for a moment, slowly realizing what he had done. With one simple decision, he had defied his family, one that included the infamous Fire Lord Ozai. He wouldn’t just be sent to prison if someone found out it was him, he would be killed. His body started to become uncomfortably sweaty and stressed at the thought alone. But what made it worse was his realization of what he just did to Zuko.

Him, Zuko, and Uncle Iroh have been on a boat for two years trying to find the Avatar so Zuko could come home. Someone that he considered more of a brother than a cousin had taken away his chance at peace with himself. The mix of regret and confusion filled the empty hole in Ren’s gut, feeling emotionally and morally split with what he just did. After a few seconds, fear started to pool in with it, almost making his knees buckle. He forced himself to stay upright, leaving against the wall for support.

But before he could even try and leave the hallway, he heard screams outside from up on deck. From what was being announced, Aang had been quickly noticed by the crew once he entered the inside of the ship. Along with that, it seemed that the guards he had let go had told others that he was in charge of guiding the Avatar to his cell, as the sounds of several people rushing down the stairs towards his direction echoed through the metal walls and floors.

Ren knew that he had to face the music.

He forced all the negative thoughts and doubts down, clearing his mind as the sound of steps hit the same floor he was on. Ren slowly turned around, seeing a group of five guards staring at him in confusion. It took all of them a moment to look at the scene, until one of them saw that the rope binding had been burnt off.

“You traitor!” The guard yelled at him, the booming voice bouncing off the iron walls and ringing throughout the hallway. “This is treason against the Fire Nation!”

Ren remained calm, his face falling blank and emotionless as he took a few steps forward. There was only one exit out of there, and they were blocking it. He didn’t speak, not wanting any type of weakness to show.

Before Ren could even take another step, all of the guards blasted him with fire. He could barely react in time to block, but all five of bending at the same time was extremely hard to guard against. Ren would put all of his strength into it, his feet starting to slide back against the metal the longer he tried to fight against it.

They continued to blast at him until Ren was pinned against the wall at the end of the hallway. Sweat started to bead down Ren’s forehead as he was starting to run out of energy, his body becoming increasingly sandwiched between hose of fire and the iron wall behind him. He lasted longer than he did before in most of his training sessions with Zuko and Iroh.

Luck was on his side as three of the guards stopped for a moment to take a very brief break, giving Ren just enough time to duck underneath the flame and sprint towards the guards. He was hidden underneath the fire for only a few moments before the guards realized that he wasn’t at the other end of the blast.

By the time they did though, Ren had gotten close enough to sweep two of the guards off of their feet in one swift moment of his leg. Before the other guards could react, Ren let out a wave of fire that hit them in just the right way to throw them against the wall to their right. They all were smacked against the metal with an almost satisfying thump before Ren quickly ran past all five of the guards and up onto the main deck.

But when Ren got up to the deck, everything changed.

Ren was greeted with the scene of Avatar Aang being sent flying off of the edge of the boat by Zuko, making Ren’s heart sink into the deep parts of the ocean.  _ “Was all of this for nothing?”  _ He thought to himself. He is now going to be executed on a failed plan that only led to the Avatar’s death. It was all over.

Before Ren could do anything, the guards he had only slightly harmed emerged from inside the boat, all five of them already preparing to fight him. He quickly turned around to face them, getting into a defensive stance in readiness to take them all on.

“What are you guards doing?” Zuko yelled from behind Ren. But he didn’t turn around to face his cousin just yet, not wanting to be the one to look him in the eye as he was told what happened.

“Prince Zuko!” One of the guards yelled out. “Prince Ren was the one to release the Avatar from his bindings, leading to his escape in the first place!”

The air stood still as Ren finally turned around to face his cousin, his closest friend, to see what his reaction was. Instead of what he thought was going to be pure anger, Zuko’s face was stuck in disbelief. Ren opened his mouth to speak, wanting to say something, anything that could possibly attempt to amend what had just happened… but what was done was done.

“... you?” Zuko muttered out, his cousin’s voice shaky. Ren could tell that he was angry, but there was something else there that he couldn’t exactly tell. Maybe it was sadness, maybe it was apathy.

As emotions slowly started to boil over for Zuko, the ship beneath them began to rock and shake before a loud crash of water was heard just outside the boat. Everyone turned to look at what it was… and the sight was truly unbelievable. 

The Avatar was suspended in the air, being supported by a moving whirlpool column that extended from the arctic waters itself, towering in front of the warship they were standing on. The young boy’s eyes were glowing a light blue, along with the airbending arrows tattooed along his body. It was both amazing, mesmerizing and absolutely terrifying. Ren looked at both the guards and Zuko to see that they were all fixated on the Avatar, their faces in shock as they witnessed the wrath of nature and power that such a young boy could wield.

Aang virtually flew through the air, the vortex of water following behind him as he landed only a few meters away from Ren, his hands bending the water back as he winded up for a devastating blow. None of the others besides Ren seemed to notice this however, and at the last moment, Ren ducked down onto the ground, laying his body flat against the ship as he ungodly wave of water flew over him to hit everyone else. It sent the guards and Zuko flying back, causing a few of them (including Zuko) to be sent overboard.

Ren waited for a few moments before looking up, seeing Aang slowly stop glowing. Once he was back to normal, he started to fall forwards out of exhaustion. Ren quickly got up from his spot and slid over to catch Aang before he hit his head against the hard floor.

“Avatar Aang?” Ren said, trying to get the attention of the boy. This kid could be dead for all he knew, and he wasn’t going to be responsible for it. “Avatar Aang!”

Thankfully, the boy’s eyes slowly started to open. He was obviously burnt out from whatever he just did, most likely using up all of his energy. “Thanks Ren…” The young boy mumbled out, a small smile on his face. 

Ren sighed in relief, and thought that this was going to be a brief moment of rest for him and the Avatar. He gently laid down Aang on the ground, sitting back on his own knees as he took a deep breath in and out. But it seems like today wasn’t his day.

Looking up into the sky, he thought he was hallucinating when he saw a really fat bison of some sort flying through the air. Ren had to do a double take as he saw it head closer towards them, landing nearby him and Aang.

“Um… what in the name of all that is spiritual… is that?” Ren immediately asked, his royal filter having been worn off due to exhaustion.

Aang didn’t have enough energy to attempt to even sit up, only being able to turn his head towards what Ren was questioning about. “Oh yeah… that’s my flying bison, Appa.” Aang told him, not really giving any effort to attempt to explain that to Ren.

All Ren could do was sit there in confusion for a few moments before he quickly snapped out of it. He got up once he saw the two Water Tribe siblings he saw talk with Aang jump off the back of the beast, running towards him and the Avatar.

The boy who attacked Zuko immediately tried to attack Ren, but he wasn’t interested in trying to fight the boy. Ren easily dodged the boy, causing him to trip and fall. Before he could hit the ground, Ren grabbed him to make sure he wouldn’t.

The boy quickly pulled away from, pulling out a machete as he got back onto his feet and regained his balance. The boy pointed it directly at Ren, the tip only a few inches away from his chin. Even with this, Ren remained visually calm towards the boy.

“Can I help you?” Ren sarcastically remarked, holding back the urge to smirk as well.

The Water Tribe teen rolled his eyes. “What are you doing with our friend?!” He yelled at the prince. “You have five seconds to run away or else I’ll-”

“Don’t worry Sokka, he’s not like the others.” Aang said, cutting off his friend mid-sentence. Ren turned to see that The Avatar was starting to regain some of his strength back. “He was the one that freed me in the first place.”

Sokka immediately put down his blade, though he still seemed a bit suspicious of Ren. The Water Tribe boy started to circle around him, aspecting his clothes and looks. Ren looked to the side to see his sister rolling his eyes at what Sokka was doing.

“How do we know that he isn’t some type of spy?” Sokka inquired. “For all we know, this could just be some grand scheme-”

“They only just captured the Avatar less than half an hour ago.” Ren pointed out, disrupting Sokka’s train of thought. “An elaborate plan like that would take much longer to make-”

Before Ren could finish his point, he saw the group of knocked out guards starting to stand back up onto their feet. None of the others seemed to notice, so Ren made the first move. He jumped forward, landing with his right foot pointing towards the guards as a burst of flames flew out from the tip of his foot, the blast sending the remaining guards overboard, though leaving one leaning up against the ledge, completely knocked out.

By the time Ren turned back around, Sokka looked at Ren with a mix of confusion and surprise. The boy groaned as he walked away to grab the Avatar’s discarded staff. Aang got up onto his feet, walking up to Ren. “Look… I’m guessing that you’re not going to be able to stay here.” It was only then that Ren realized that… well yeah, if he stayed he would probably be left to freeze in the cold. 

Aang continued. “So um… would you like to come with us?” He offered a smile on his face. “It’s the least I can do for someone that freed me from jail.” The Water Tribe girl was visibly concerned at this, and was about to say something until she looked over at the remaining, most likely concussed guard at the side of the boat. She hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Ren turned back to see the main part of the boat, lost in thought for a moment. Was he really going to leave behind everything? He didn’t pack much besides clothes (which didn’t matter), and the only thing he needed was the picture of him and his baby sister. He knew that he couldn’t stay, and this was his only chance at escaping his past life to start a new one… but something inside of him wanted to remain and face the consequences. Ren took a deep breath, putting a hand over his heart where his picture is before turning around.

This moment of contemplation was abruptly stopped as the slam of the main ship doors opening caught everyone’s attention. A large group of guards ran out of the door, all looking at them with what seemed like murder in their eyes.

Ren turned around, a nervous smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have much choice, do I?” He said before all three of them quickly ran towards the beast Sokka and his sister flew in on. Sokka came running back with Aang’s staff, climbing the creature’s flat tail so he could reach the saddle(?) on its back.

“Katara, why is the spy-”

Sokka was quickly cut off by his sister. “SHUT UP AND HURRY!” She yelled.

The boy scoffed at his sister as he climbed onto the neck of the animal, grabbing onto what seemed like a lead of sorts. “Fine! Appa, yip yip!”

Now, the words “flying” and “bison” still hadn’t really connected together in Ren’s mind when Aang first told him about it, nor when he even saw it in action. Actually being ON the thing when it was in motion was a completely different mind melt. With a quick jump, the thing soared up into the air, leaving the ship within seconds.

Ren gripped onto the lip of the saddle so hard that his knuckles turned white, trying his best to not show exactly how terrified he was. The girl, who he now knew was Katara, seemed to pick up on it though, and slightly laughed at him. Ren couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment, though his reaction could be taken in a different way.

Nobody could get too cozy as they saw a giant ball of fire heading straight towards them. Ren knew that he wouldn’t be able to redirect it in time, but Aang reacted first. He jumped towards the fire ball, holding his staff like a two-handed sword as he directed a gust of wind at the object. The two hit square on, the ball of fire being sent flying towards the large iceberg next to them. It broke through, sending large chunks of ice and snow piling onto the warship. Katara, Aang, and Sokka laughed at the scene while Ren simply smiled in amusement as they all flew away.

**\--------**

A few minutes after the fight, the sun started to set. The sky glowed a magnificent pink-ish orange from their point in the sky, and everyone was silent for a bit. As much as Ren wanted to relax after such a stressful day, he could sense that someone was staring at him. He looked up to see that it was Katara. “It’s Ren, right?” She asked him.

“Yeah… that’s me.” He told her, his voice sounding tired, stressed, and almost sad. “Why are you asking?”

“I was just wondering… why did you free Aang?” She asked him, seeming genuinely curious. “I mean, soldiers in the army are supposed to follow orders, not defy them.”

And that’s when Ren realized they don’t know that he’s a prince. Well, Sokka and Katara don’t know. Maybe Aang does, but that’s a heavy maybe. To him, it would’ve been obvious because of his clothing, but they probably don’t know what a Fire Nation noble looks like considering that none of them have actually fought in the war. This made him feel… good, for some reason. Something about not having to explain how weird and harsh his family is or talk about his cousin just made him feel better about the whole situation. So, he was going to have to go along with it.

“Um… well…” He said, stumbling over his words as he tried to think of something on the spot. “I guess I just had a feeling that it was the right thing to do.” Ren told her, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It was just a feeling that I had, and I acted on it.”

As Ren looked up from his feet, he saw that Sokka was glaring at him. It was obvious that the Water Tribe boy was still extremely suspicious of them and something in Ren’s gut told him that if he found out that he was a part of the Fire Nation Royal Family, he would actually kill him.

“Well, I just want to say that I’m glad that you did.” Katara told him, a small and grateful smile on her face.

Ren smiled back at her for a moment before leaning back, staring out into the sky as he zoned out from the conversation. Even though he seemed calm on the outside, his heart was still beating faster than ever. The day that he just had was both crazy and unbelievable. Never in his life would he ever see himself betraying someone so close to him… yet he still did. Was this what the spirits had planned for him? Who knows?

The only thing Ren knew was that his life was going to become much, much harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope y'all are enjoying this thing so far. Also tell me if I missed any spelling checks or grammar issues.
> 
> Comment and kudos if you like it, kiddos!


	4. The Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren's successful escape from his past life has made him feel both happy and anxious. As his journey with the newly formed "Team Avatar" begins, he tries his best to hide his life from Aang, Katara, and Sokka.
> 
> (Based On The Events Of Book 1, Episode 3)

_ Ren was sitting at the dining table in his home at the Fire Nation Royal Palace, just barely paying attention to what was going on around him. He had just spent the entire morning training with his dad on firebending and fighting techniques, and was absolutely famished by the time it was lunch. His mother and father were having a conversation, but it was probably just some boring adult stuff. By the time the servants had brought out the food, Ren could smell it from down the hallway and got his chopsticks ready. As soon as all of the food was placed onto the table and his parents took their first bite, Ren immediately started to hastily shove rice, roast duck, and lettuce into his mouth. _

_ Ren was barely able to hear the tired but still amused sigh of his mother as he swallowed a mouthful of food. “Slow down, honey.” She told him. “Remember to always maintain proper table manners.” _

_ The prince looked up from his food for a moment to look at his parents. His mom, Princess Cho, had an eyebrow quirked up in concern while his dad, Prince Kenshi, was visibly holding back a few chuckles from just watching his son scarf down his food like that. His father was said to look like a young Fire Lord Azulon as he looked exactly like his father with only a few minor differences. His mother, on the other hand, was completely different compared to the other female nobles in the Fire Nation. _

_ Princess Cho was born on a small island called the Lieshan Isle, which is known for its farming industry and fertile soil. A large portion of high quality crop is made there for both the public and the military, and Cho’s family were farmers. Because of her long hours as a farmhand under the sweltering sun, her skin was much more tanned than most people who lived in the Fire Nation Capital. When Prince Kenshi joined his father on a trip there to discuss rations, the two met and fell in love.  _

_ It took them a while to get married, mainly due to the fact that his father was concerned about the repercussions of his son dating a commoner. But a few months after the royal wedding between Ozai and Ursa, Kenshi was able to convince his dad to let him (though his dad refuses to tell him HOW he was able to convince Azulon). Ren was then born a year after Crown Prince Zuko, and the rest is history. _

_ “Sorry mom.” Ren apologized, immediately listening to his mom and slowing down. “It’s just that I’m super hungry and I want to hang out with cousin Zuko after I eat.” He told her, talking with his mouth full of food. It was a bad habit of his at the time. _

_ His father rolled his eyes at Ren, staying quiet as he continued to eat his own meal. His mother continued talking however, noticing Ren’s lack of table manners. “Well you’re not going to be able to go play with cousin Zuko if you continue to talk with your mouth full. It’s rude to do, even if it’s just us that are in the room.” _

_ It took the young prince a moment to realize what his mother was talking about, but after he did, he quickly swallowed all of the food in his mouth (which happened to include the last of his rice) before washing it down with tea. He was able to wipe his face on his sleeve before he saw the disapproving look on his mother’s face. Looking around for a second, Ren took the napkin next to his bowl and wiped crumb covered cheeks on it, getting a smile from his mom. _

_ But before Ren could say anything, his mother’s face suddenly changed. It was blank and cold, as if she wasn’t human in the first place. “Wake up.” She said to him, her voice emotionless and dead. Ren looked over to his father, seeing that his face was just as expressionless as his mother’s. _

_ “Mom… dad?” Ren mumbled out, confused and dazed at what was going on. _

_ “Wake up, Ren!” His mother repeated, though her voice was different than before. It was familiar but different from his mom’s. The more he looked around the room, the more he realized that everything was off. The room he was in looked spacey and distant, as if they were floating in mid air. As the voice of his mother slowly became more and more distinct, Ren closed his eyes on the scene. _

**\--------**

As Ren slowly started to open his eyes, he felt a force shake his body back and forth from off of the rough ground beneath him. It turned out to be Katara, who looked annoyed at him for still being asleep at this time of day.

“Ren c’mon!” He heard a girl say to him. “Me and Aang are already ready!” She told him, slowly letting go of him as he flopped onto the ground.

Ren groaned as he slowly got up, his clothes dirty and dusty from having to sleep on the ground without a blanket of any kind. Unlike the others, Ren didn’t exactly have the time to pack his bags for the journey they were on, since he was at the time being chased by his own guards. Ren sighed in exhaustion as he rubbed his eyes, standing up onto his feet and stretching his back. Thankfully, his clothing had layers to it since it was both formal attire and battle armour. The clothes under it were just normal, Fire Nation style shirt and pants. As he looked over to his coat, which was hanging by a nearby tree branch above his boots, he made a mental note to get new clothing. Last thing he needed was to be recognized by someone as a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family.

Ren wasn’t really paying attention to the back and forth yelling between Sokka and Aang as he grabbed his clothes from where they were hanging, quickly putting them on his tidy and swift fashion. His hair was still down and out of it’s usually top knot style, but he hesitated as he was about to tie it up. Something about him putting his hair back up in the same top knot as the rest of his family didn’t feel right. Nevertheless, this feeling stayed with him as he tied it anyways, not wanting to delay his group’s trip.

As he slowly walked over to Appa, he caught another glare from Sokka. It was pretty obvious to him that the Water Tribe boy didn’t trust him, but Ren didn’t treat him with the same sort of bitterness that he greeted him with. His mother always told him to remain respectful to people, even if they don’t treat you the same way. Of course, he didn’t always follow this rule, but it was something that was always in the back of his head ever since he was a small child. Looking over at Sokka, Ren noticed that he seemed tired and stressed at the moment.

“Good morning, Sokka.” Ren said to him, remaining polite and kind to the other boy. “I’m guessing that you didn’t sleep well.” He mentioned, though it was in more of a concerned manner than in a sarcastic one.

Even though Ren remained calm and friendly towards Sokka, the other boy’s continued suspicion and bitterness made him reply with the same disdain as before. “Why would you care?” He retorted back at Ren, his eyebrows furrowed as he quickly walked past the Fire Nation boy.

Ren sighed, knowing that gaining trust from this boy would be a hard and bumpy ride.

**\--------**

Flying on what the Avatar called a “sky bison” (though his name is Appa) was truly fascinating. As a child (and admittedly, now), Ren was interested in learning about the fauna and flora of the world that he lived in. Of course, all of his knowledge was centered around the Fire Nation’s education system, but he wanted to know about the other animals of the world. Most of the trip was Ren asking questions about the animals that Aang knew about, since many of them are considered to be extinct. Besides that, it was mostly just Sokka complaining about how he was hungry. This went on for a few hours until Ren realized something.

“Hey, I know I should’ve probably asked earlier but, where exactly are we heading?” Ren asked the group. Sokka rolled his eyes at him.

“You seriously didn’t hear before? We’re heading to the Air Temple.” Sokka told Ren, clutching his arms around his stomach as it started to growl once again. As soon as it clicked in Ren’s mind, he felt his spirit drop into the ocean below them.

“The Air Temple?” Ren said, trying to seem as calm as possible. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” He asked Aang.

“Of course it is!” The Avatar exclaimed, a joyful grin on his face. “It’s been about a hundred years since I’ve been home, it’s about time I visited!”

Ren looked back at both Sokka and Katara, who both had the same expression of knowledge and understanding of what happened all those years ago. Before Ren could try and protest against going, Appa suddenly maneuvered downwards. The clouds cleared away as a sheer cliff face was revealed, pointed and steep mountains protruding from the ground.

  
“The Patola mountain range! We're almost there!” Aang said, steering Appa towards the area. Ren moved over so he could sit beside Katara, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

“One of us has to tell him.” He said. “This is not exactly the best way to find out about… well… literally anything.”

Katara sighed, looking over at Ren and nodding in agreement. She crawled over so she could sit next to Aang, looking back at Ren and Sokka for reassurance. Both of the boys gave her a somewhat hopeful smile to try and encourage her.

“Aang? Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.” She said to him, obviously a bit uneasy about having to talk to him about this.

“What about 'em?” Aang asked, his same happy attitude seeming to be unphased by the energy coming from the rest of the group.

“Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see.” Katara said, pausing as she looked down at her hands. There was an obvious sadness to her voice and composure. “The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother and they could have done the same to your people.”

Ren remained silent as he felt the glares from Sokka sink into his skin. Growing up in the Fire Nation, all of the kids were told that the Fire Nation was there to save and purify people from some of their practices. For quite a long time, Ren believed that. It wasn’t until he started travelling with his cousin that he got to see the true actions of what his family was doing. He suppressed the deep feeling of shame far down inside of them, and it’s only now that it has been starting to come out. Though Ren’s face remained in a blank stare, he was screaming on the inside. Angry about how many people believe the lies the government has told them.

Focusing back on Aang, Ren could tell that there was a brief moment of worry and anxiety that washed over them. But as soon as it showed up, it left and the same positive energy came back to him. “Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped.”

Ren softly sighed, internally wishing that he was just as positive as Aang was. Katara rested a hand on the Avatar’s shoulder. “I know it's hard to accept.”

Before she could finish, Aang turned to her, a smile on his face. “You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right, Appa?”

Ren felt his insides boil, his fist clenching tight as he tried his best not to scream. He knew what happened, more so than Sokka and Katara. They showed paintings of the event, some of them with graphic detail to their classes. They made them believe that the Air Nomads had assembled an army to fight back, and it wasn’t until Ren read books from outside the Fire Nation that he learned otherwise. The Air Nomads were supposedly a peaceful people, only fighting in a lethal manner if their lives depended on it. And even then, any information on their peoples is rife with speculation, legends, and mysteries. A culture lost to time.

Before Ren could say anything, he stumbled over as Appa started to circle around the mountain face. He still wasn’t used to the movement of the animal and being off the ground in general. Thankfully, he didn’t get motion sickness like his father did. Ren quickly grabbed onto something tight as the group went sharply up the mountain, almost at a full vertical angle. The wind howled through his ears before slowly coming to a halt. By the time Ren looked up, whatever he was about to say had completely left his mind, as he saw an Air Temple for the first time in his life.

The architecture was spectacular, with pale stone towers along the ledges being accented by the blue pagoda roofs. The spire at the top of each building spanned an incredible height, some being up to a third of the building’s actual height. The elegant and spiritual energy from the area was marvelous, almost sending goosebumps up the Prince’s arm. Ren, Sokka, and Katara were rendered speechless at the sight, staring at it in pure shock.

“The Southern Air Temple.” Aang announced to the group, leveling out Appa as he started to head directly to the main entrance.

Katara was the first one of the others to speak up. “Aang, it’s amazing!” She told him. Ren nodded his head in agreement, moving a bit closer to the front to get a better look.

Aang muttered something to him and his sky bison, looking longingly at his old home. As they headed closer, the feeling from before that Ren felt started to come back as they touched down on the landing area, at the bottom of several long and steep paths towards the towers.

Getting off Appa and following Aang, the group walked through the paths along the mountain. While Sokka and Katara stayed a bit behind, Ren kept up with Aang watching as he looked around the place.

At first Aang seemed excited, talking about the games he used to play with his friends and where the animals would stay, pointing out the areas for both. But his voice slowly started to lose energy as something clearly became off about the young Avatar.

Katara, again, was the first one to speak up. “What’s wrong?” She asked him.

Aang sighed as he stared at the empty activity grounds. “This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds.” He paused as his once happy expression fell. “I can't believe how much things have changed.”

A silence came over the group as Ren looked back at the siblings, all of them thinking the same thing. They had to change the subject to keep Aang’s spirits up. Even though he was arguably the most powerful person on the planet, he was still a kid. A kid that had a lot to process about his life now.

The Water Tribe kids walked up behind the Avatar and the Prince, hoping to try and get Aang into a better mood. Ren assumed that Katara would say something first, but surprisingly, Sokka did. “So, uh, this airball game? How do you play?” He asked Aang. Almost immediately, his face brightened back up before dragging Sokka off to go teach him how to play. Ren stood quietly next to Katara, watching the two talk about the game with each other.

“So… he’s your older brother?” Ren asked, trying to start a conversation with Katara. He knew that the two siblings were still at least a little bit weary about him, so he wanted to, pardon the pun, break the ice with them. Starting with the one who’s less adamant on him being a spy, Katara.

The girl let out a light chuckle, though it seemed to be somewhat nervous. It was understandable, considering their differences in backgrounds. He didn’t expect Katara to be all comfortable around him right off the bat. “Yeah, that’s him. Older by a year, though it feels like I’m older by five.” She said, though it seemed to be more of a half joke and half of internal feelings.

Ren couldn’t help it as he slightly cracked up, knowing how it feels to be the older sibling. Even though she’s technically the younger sibling, Ren could easily bond over the feeling of having to be an almost parental figure to someone older than yourself. Though it wasn’t as extreme as Katara, he had the same sort of feeling with Zuko. “I’ve noticed, and pardon myself if this is in any amount offensive, but he noticeably a bit… boyishly inane.”

Katara stifled a laugh, smiling at Ren knowingly. “I take it that you have experience with this?” She asked him, lifting up an eyebrow in question.

“Yeah, though in both a literal and figurative sense.” He told Katara. “I have a sister who is twelve years younger than me, so she’s the literal example. Then there’s my older cousin, who’s very… intense. The figurative example who thinks with emotion rather than logic, you know?”

Katara nodded in understanding, though a different look sprouted on her face. “Maybe I just don’t know enough about the Fire Nation’s army to make proper judgement.” She started out with, immediately grabbing Ren’s interest. “But, you look around our age. Why did you go and join the army when you could’ve stayed behind with your family?”

The uneasy feeling of dishonesty filled Ren’s gut as he heard the question. The rest of the group knows nothing about his family ties, and if anything he made them more a target by staying with them. He had to at least somewhat lie to them for the time being. “Recruitment starts at a young age, and my family has a history with the military.”

Katara gave Ren this look of confusion, making the Prince nervous about if she even believed him. “Even so, how the heck did a fresh recruit get chosen to work for someone who seemed extremely important? And who was that boy anyways? With the scar on his eye?”

Ren froze up for a moment as he tried his best to remain natural and calm. He had to act like an outsider, but at the same time he couldn’t seem too unaware. One slip up could mean that he could be figured out by the rest of the group.

“That was the son of the Fire Lord.” He told her, trying to seem as unaffected by the questions as possible and ignoring her first question. Katara’s expression immediately fell into shock as she learned this. “Some scuffle happened in the royal family and he’s apparently banished from the Fire Nation until he can bring back the Avatar… or proof of his death.”   
  
Katara stood there in silence for a moment, trying to process this information. “Wow… banished from his own country to find someone who’s been missing for a hundred years?” She said to herself, crossing her arms in contemplation. “I’m not saying he’s on the right side of history, but what do you think he did to deserve something like that?”

Ren’s fist clenched tightly, though he tried his best to hide it from the girl. He was there, sitting next to his Uncle Iroh while watching the battle go on. He wasn’t supposed to go to the Agni Kai, as his mom thought it would turn Ren into his Uncle Ozai. But his father argued that it was a part of their culture and he had to learn about it one day. Some parts of Ren wish he didn’t go, as the images of Zuko crying on the ground beneath his father have been burned into his mind. But on the other hand, it made him start to properly question his position as a part of the royal family. All of that over a disagreement at a meeting? To him, it was barbaric and inhumane.

Even with all this thought going on in his head, all he could do was shrug and pretend to be indifferent. “Beats me.” Ren told her. “Though it must’ve been pretty bad since the crew told me to never ask him about it.” He said to Katara, putting on a fake face of comfort.

Thankfully, before Katara could question him any further, a loud scream could be heard from the playing field. Both of them looked over to see Sokka flying to the ground, landing roughly in the snow next to them with a ball held at his abdomen. Looking over at Aang, he was screaming something about the score of the game, and from what Ren just saw he could assume that Sokka was very much losing.

As he slowly tried to sit up on the ground, Sokka groaned in pain. “Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt.” He grumbled. Ren walked over and extended a hand out to the boy, trying to show him as much compassion as possible. 

“Need a hand?” Ren asked him, a small smile on his face. Though at first, he thought Sokka was ignoring him out of spite, he realized that it was because he was fixated on something else in the snow. Before Ren could ask what it was, he crawled over to a small natural wall against a shallow cliff, seeing an old fashioned Fire Nation soldier helmet on the ground.

“You guys, check this out.” Sokka said, directing both of them to get closer to the artifact. The style, though outdated, was recognizably from the Fire Nation. Sokka looked up at Ren with a nasty stare. “Looks like your buddies paid a visit, spy.” He said to Ren, pure venom coming from the tone of his voice alone.

Ren’s immediate reaction was to defend himself. “Look Sokka, I don’t appreciate your tone towards me-”

“Both of you stop it!” Katara cut in, putting the argument on the back burner for later. “Arguing about it isn’t going to erase the fact that it happened.”

The two oldest boys looked at each other, both of them clearly still angry about what the other said, but mentally agreeing to let it go for the time being. Sokka sighed as he looked over at Aang. “We should tell him.” Sokka said.

Katara nodded in understanding, turning over to Aang who was still at the airball court. “Aang, there's something you need to see!”

Aang, still beaming from absolutely destroying Sokka at airball, jumped down and started running towards us. He was obviously the youngest out of all of us as he still had that childish happiness to him. It was something that Ren couldn’t really have for too long since his family’s position, but a part of him wanted to see it stay in Aang for as long as possible. Looking over at Katara, she looked back over between the helmet and a quickly approaching Aang.

After a moment, she lifted up her arms and pulled them down. Ren looked behind him in confusion, and was just able to duck out of the way from the mini avalanche of snow that came down. Sokka, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. He was immediately buried underneath the snow, obviously confused about what just happened.

Just as that happened, Aang finally made it to them. “What is it?” He asked Katara, looking at the scene and wondering why he was called there.

Katara looked over at Ren as she realized that she had to make up something or else Aang would get suspicious. “Uh... just a new waterbending move I learned.” She lied, putting on a somewhat forced smile.

Aang thankfully remained the same as he smiled, looking down at the snow covered Sokka for a moment before chuckling. “Nice one. But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!” He said to the three of them before quickly walking off towards the rest of the outside grounds.

As Sokka slowly got up, the three of them stood there silently. Sokka broke the silence first. “You know, you can't protect him forever.” He said, directing it towards Katara. Ren glared at Sokka, about to say something in defense of her actions, but Katara walked off. Ren looked over and even though she was turned away from him, he could tell that she knew that her brother was right.

Ren was the last one left behind as he looked down at the snow covering the helmet. What good does lying to them do? Sokka already seems adamant on hating his guts, and with good reason. His country, his lineage are nonredeemable monsters, and that makes him just like them, no matter what… right?

“C’mon Ren!” Echoed out from a distance away, the voice obviously being Aang’s. “Don’t lag behind!”

The treasonous prince couldn’t help but smile, finally walking away from the helmet as he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could make up for the actions of his family. It was going to be hard and he was already here so… why not try?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, but here it is! This episode will be split up into most likely three separate chapters, though that's not for certain. Comment your opinions (or if there's any spelling/grammar mistakes) and give me a kudos if you like it!


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